Utah revokes license of school where Paris Hilton said she was abused

Utah revoked the license of Provo Canyon School’s Springville campus on Monday, July 7, ordering the youth residential treatment center for girls to stop all services and end new enrollments by Aug. 6. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services, through its Division of Licensing and Background Checks, found the school had “failed to provide applicable health and safety services for clients,” and state officials said the owners cannot reapply for a new license for five years.

The revocation followed a June 18 move that placed 10 immediate conditions on the campus license after regulators investigated a May 18 incident and found severe safety failures. State investigators found staff failed to protect a minor during a physical assault and then delayed emergency medical care by calling a non-medical transport company instead of 911. Utah received a complaint from the Disability Law Center on June 16, then reviewed medical records, internal documents and camera footage, and interviewed staff and clients before moving to revoke the license.

The Springville campus has been under scrutiny for years-old and recent allegations of abuse, and Paris Hilton has become the best-known former student to speak publicly about what she says happened there. Hilton attended Provo Canyon School in Springville at age 17 and has said she was forced into solitary confinement, physically restrained and sexually abused. In June, she joined two families suing Provo Canyon School and its parent company, Universal Health Services, over alleged delays in providing medical care to their children.

The state will monitor compliance until the school closes, and the revocation notice must be given to parents or guardians and posted publicly at the facility.